Triple-murder trial begins

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Attorneys entered opening statements Tuesday in a long-delayed triple homicide case at the South Shore.

Joseph Michael Nissensohn is accused of killing 14-year-old Tanya Jones and 13-year-old Tammy Jarschke in Monterey County in 1981. He is also charged with murder in the death of South Lake Tahoe 15-year-old Kathy Graves in 1989.

He faces the death penalty if convicted of the crimes. He has pleaded not guilty.

El Dorado County Deputy District Attorney Dale Gomes began the trial by providing a “road map” to jurors about what evidence he expected to enter at the trial, detailing Nissensohn’s alleged sexual proclivities, including fixations on young girls and sexual violence. He also showed jurors a potential witness list, which included more than 70 names.

The trial is expected to last into October. Nissensohn has been held in El Dorado County Jail awaiting trial since 2008.